Lubricating-cup.



T. W. BURR.

LUBRICATING CUP.

APPLICATION FILED IULY 6,1918.

Patented Apr. 29, 1919.

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llTED @TATE% PATENT @FFTQE THOMAS W. BURR, 0F STONEHAM, MASSACHUSETTS.

LUBRICATING-CUP.

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Application filed July 6, 1918.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, THoMAs W. Bonn, a citizen of the United States, anda resident of Stoneham, county of Middlesex, State of Massachusetts,have invented an Improvement in Lubricating-Cups, 01": which thefollowing is a specification.

This invention relates to that class of lubricating cups which areautomatically operated by the vibrations of a moving vehicle, to whichthey are designed to be attached and which do not operate to feed theoil when held stationary.

Prior to my invention devices of this character have been produced whichdepended on the capi lary action in a wick to elevate the lubricant to apoint at which it may be transferred to a delivering means, but, whilesuch devices are operative in warm weather, they are liable to becomeinoperative in cold weather, as the oil in the wick is liable to stiiiento such an extent that the capillary action will be prevented.

The objects of my invention are to provide a lubricating cup of thegeneral type above referred to, which will operate practicallyassatisfactorily in cold weather as in warm, and in which dependence oncapillary action for the oil feeding operation is avoided. Also, toprovide a device in which the use of moving or vibrating parts isavoided, so that it will not get out of order, and which is of simpleconstruction and may be manufactured at small expense.

I accomplish these objects by the means shown in the accompanyingdrawings in which Figure 1 is a central vertical sectional view of a.lubricating cup embodying my invention, taken at the line 11 of Fig 2.

Figs. '2 and 3 are top and bottom views respectively of the cuppartition which I employ.

Fig. 4 is a detail. plan view of the parti tion.

Fig. 5 is an enlarged, detail sectional view, on line 11 of Fig. 2. 7

As shown in the drawing, a cup at, of suitable size, is provided havinga centrally disposed outlet nipple 7", which is adapted to be mounted inthe oil passage of the parts to be lubricated and an inwardly projectingoutlet pipe 0 is mounted within the cup chamber in vertical alinementwith the passage through the outlet nipple, said pipe terminating belowthe level of the rim of the Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Apr. 29, 15919..

Serial No. 243,672.

cup, and above the: normal liquid level there in, so that the lubricantmust be raised to the upper end of the pipe 0, in order that it may bedischarged from the cup.

' A partition plate 03 of thin sheet metal, is provided, the middleportion thereof being pressed into conical form and the peripheralportion thereof being provided. with a downwardly turned flange 6 havingscrew threads pressed therein which are adapted to be engaged withcorresponding threads on the eX- terior of the cup rim. The upper end ofthe pipe 0 is provided with an inwardly tapering seat on its upper end,corresponding in inclination, to the inclination of the conical surfaceon the underside of the plate, so that, when the plate is screwed ontothe cup, its underside will be seated against the upper end of saidpipe, forming a tightjoint therewith. A central circular aperture (Z isformed in the plate, in register with the passage through the pipe 0,said aperture being extended radially, at one side to form a narrowopening or slot (Z for a portion of the distance to the periphery, asshown in Figs. 3 and 4:. The plate d is also formed to taper to a sharpedge about its central aperture, as shown in Fig. 5, and, as it is madeof thin sheet metal, it may be reduced to a sharp edge at this pointduring the stamping operation. A wire screening 9 of very fine mesh issecured on the upper side of plate (Z, in position to extend over theaperture cl, and slot (Z therein, said screen being preferably solderedto said plate entirely about and close to the edges of said aperture.The portion of said screen which is disposed over the pipe 0 is ofdished form, so that it de pends slightly into the same and is pressedagainst the sharp edge which surrounds said aperture (Z, so that directcommunication from the lowcrchamber to the pipe 0, except through thescreen 5/, is prevented. The plate (Z, is formed to provide an annularshoulder (Z on its upper side, adjacent its edge flange c and a flatcover it is provided, which is of the same diameter as said shoulder andis adapted to be fitted into the space inclosed thereby, so that it willbe flush with the upper surface of the plate (Z.

A. filling tube 2' is provided, which extends through both the cover itand plate d, a ball check valve j, of common form, is provided in theupper end of said tube, so that the oil chamber in the cup may bereadily filled with an oil can.

The bottom of the cup is formed in a continuous curve with the sidewalls, so that if the whole cup is vibrated, or swung from side to side,as it will be when attached to a vehicle in motion, the oil therein willbe splashed up against the partition plate, and also against the portionof the screening which extends over the slot (Z The screen employed isof such fine mesh that oil splashed thereagainst will be entirelyintercepted thereby, and, as a portion thereof will remain on the screenby capillary attraction, and, as the screen is inclined downward towardthe portion thereof which is over the pipe 0, this oil will graduallyflow down the wires of the screen until it passes onto the portionthereof which is over the pipe 0, and finally collects in a globule, ordrop, on the under side thereof. This globule will increase in sizeuntil gravity action and the vibration will dislodge it, so that it willfall into the pipe 0 and thus be conducted to the surface which is to belubricated.

O11 account of the fineness of the mesh of the screen and the small areaof the surface thereof against which the lubricant may be thrown, andalso on account of the fact that the lubricant employed is acomparatively heavy, slow flowing liquid, the lubricant will accumulatevery slowly and a drop will only fall often enough to keep the partswell lubricated. The width and length of the slot (1 and the size of thewire mesh to be employed, are matters of experiment and depend, to asubstantial extent, on the character of lubricant which is employed, andon the conditions under which the cup is to be used, but, underpractically all-conditions, wheresiich a device would be used, thesurface area of the screen, against which the oil in the cup may bethrown, will be very small, as compared with the entire area of thesurface of the partition plate (Z.

A screen of fine wire is preferable, for the above purpose, to absorbentmaterial, as the drops of oil would not readily become detached frommaterial having a strong capillary attraction.

I claim 1. A lubricating cup having a liquidlubricant-holding chamber,an outlet pipe having an opening to said chamber above the liquid leveltherein, and arranged to permit the lubricant to be thrown therethroughwhen the cup is vibrated and a finely perforated screen arranged in saidopening to restrict the passage of the lubricant from i said chamber tosaid pipe.

2. A lubricating cup having a liquidlubricant-holding chamber, an outletpipe therefor having its inlet passage opening to the interior of thecup above the liquid level therein, and a fine mesh wire screen arrangedto obstruct said inlet passage and eX tending upwardly from the pipeinto a position to permit the lubricant in said chamber to be thrownthereagainst when the cup is vibrated, and to be conducted by the screento said inlet passage.

8. A lubricating cup having-- a partition therein arranged to separatethe interior thereof into an upper and a lower chamber, and an outletpipe for the cup having a liquid-tight connection with said partitlon,to prevent the passage of liquid thereto directly from said lowerchamber, said partition having an opening therethrough, one

Y portion of which is disposed in register with the inlet passage tosaid outlet pipe and another portion of which communicates with saidlower chamber, and a fine wire screen attached to said partition oversaid opening and arranged to extend downwardly from points at one sideof said pipe to points thereover.

4:. A lubricating cup having a partition therein arranged to separatethe interior thereof into an upper and a lower chamber and having anopening therethrough, an out let pipe connected to said upper chamberand having a liquid tight connection with said partition to prevent thepassage of liquid directly thereto from the lower chamber and meansextending over said opening, to obstruct the free passage of liquidtherethrough from the lower to the upper chamber, and arranged toconduct the liquid to said outlet pipe.

5. A lubricating cup having a partition therein, arranged to separatethe interior thereof into an upper and a lower chamber, and having anopening therethrough, an outlet pipe leading upwardly through said lowerchamber and connected to said upper chamber through a portion of saidopening, a fine mesh, wire screen arranged to obstruct the passage ofliquid from the lower to the upper chamber and to the outlet pipe andarranged to extend downwardly from points at one side of said pipe topoints thereover.

6. A lubricating cup having an inclined partition therein dividing thesame into an upper and lower chamber and having an opening thereinleading from an upper to a lower portion thereof, an outlet pipedisconneeted from said lower chamber and opening into said upper chamberthrough the lower portion of said opening, and a nonabsorbent screenheld in close engagement with said partition about the edges of saidopening.

In testimony whereof, I have signed my name to this specification.

THOMAS W. BURR.

Copies of this patent may be obtained. for five cents each, byaddressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. 0.

